Tips on Presenting Your First Paper at A Conference

By John R. Platt

An important part of any researcher's life is presenting papers
at technology conferences.

Conferences are where the latest discoveries, technologies and
science are first announced, and being accepted to present your
work at a conference is a vital step in your career. (Sometimes
it?s even a condition of your continued employment, especially
if you go the academic route.)

Of course, standing in front of an audience of your peers can
be scary, or terrifying. But relax. It doesn't have to be. Give
it some thought, and it can be easy.

<b>Know What You're Getting Yourself Into</b>

Before you submit your paper, know the parameters of what the
conference is looking for and what will be required of you when
it is accepted. Are they looking for specific topics? Do papers
need to be a certain length? Are graphics required? What are
the deadlines? If there is a peer review process (and there
usually is), will be papers be accepted outright, or will you
be required to do revisions before it is finally
accepted?

After your paper has been accepted, make sure you know what is
expected of your presentation. How much time do you have? Is a
PowerPoint required? How early do materials need to be
provided, and in what format? (Most conferences publish all of
their papers in a volume called the proceedings, which are then
given to all attendees and sold to libraries around the world.)
Do you need to create a poster, handouts, or other supporting
materials?

Once you know all of these formatting questions, you can start
to prepare yourself.

<b>Boil it Down</b>

Depending on the conference and its requirements, you may or
may not be reading your entire paper word-for-word. You may be
giving the highlights, or an outline, or just the results.

When it comes to your poster, handouts, or PowerPoint, less is
often more. Don't clutter it up with too much information. Give
people something to read, but keep it as basic as possible. If
you present too much information on the screen, you will lose
your audience. Your actual discussion should contain the bulk
of the details. Give them a reason to pay attention to you.

<b>Practice, Practice, Practice -- Then Practice
Again</b>

Long before the conference date, start to prepare yourself.
Practice in front of your PowerPoint and read your presentation
out loud, several times, until you are used to what you are
going to say. You should be able to do most of it without ever
referring to your notes.

You should also know not just the words of your paper, but the
technology behind it. If the audience asks questions, you want
to be prepared to answer without fumbling.

<b>Breathe!</b>

When it finally comes time to present your paper, relax. Take
it easy. Breathe and be calm. Talk slowly, take your time, and
relax. Smile, enjoy yourself, and be animated: show off your
passion in your subject to keep your audience's attention. Take
advantage of pauses to give your audience time to react to what
you say, or to let what you said sink in, or just to give
yourself a chance to catch your breath without it being too
obvious.

<b>The Close</b>

End your presentation naturally. Offer your contact
information, and ask if there are any questions. If there are,
answer them. If not, thank your audience for attending and walk
off the stage. (Take your time leaving the room, though, in
case anyone wants to talk to you one-on-one.)

There! You're done! Nothing to it, right?

And hey, now you're more practiced for paper # 2.

John Platt is a marketing consultant and journalist living in
coastal Maine.